Top Gear USA Season 2 discussion thread

[altiain]

The Office is still the only US reboot of a British show that was worth a damn.

Coupling was another funny British show that bombed (justifiably) when it was remade for the US. Of course, the US version was a line-by-line copy of the UK version with American actors, which was just as bad as it sounds.

[jrj512]

I get the impression Adam Carolla got passed up for TG-USA and created his own show.

He was originally offered TG-USA, but had to pass because of another commitment.

[redmenace]

Weak start to S2 IMO. This was exactly the kind of pandering to LCD that I abhor, and I'm not happy about simplifying the personalities ("The Expert/Driver/Wrecker"). OTOH the UK opening bit was equally lacking.

[tailchaser]

Weak start to S2 IMO. This was exactly the kind of pandering to LCD that I abhor, and I'm not happy about simplifying the personalities ("The Expert/Douchebag/Wrecker"). OTOH the UK opening bit was equally lacking.

I found Alice Cooper particularly entertaining... Certainly more fun than watching The Douchebag endanger other people's cattle/livelihood.

[Kestrel]

Well, I'll chime in, even though I haven't watched all of TGUSA's first season yet. Like most, I was disappointed at first, because (as others have stated) the presenters just don't have the same chemistry as Clarkson, May and the Hamster. And the format of TGUSA feels like a "rip-off" of TGUK. But like black roadster said, it is Top Gear, so they kinda have to follow the "established formula". Anyway, the show is not as good as the UK version, but it is growing on me a little. I mean, I'd rather watch a re-run of TGUK than a new episode of TGUSA, but I'm trying to give the show and it's presenters a chance to "find their stride". It's difficult -- even painful to watch -- at times, but I want to give them a chance. Apparently the early days of TGUK weren't the massive hit they are today either.

As for the Car Show, I like the different format (feels a little more "original") but I can't stand Adam Toyota, and while the NBA dude seems to be nice, what the heck does he know about cars? I mean, why don't we have Jesse James host a show on Needle Point and Cross Stitching? Put NBA dude on ESPN, and I'm sure he'd be fine... but can we get car guys to host the Car Show, and not some random, dead-pan "comedian and an NBA player? Honestly... you want a comedian to host the show so that it's also seen as "light-hearted entertainment"? Pay Leno whatever you have to, and as a fall-back position, pull in Jerry Seinfeld (not a big a "car guy" as Leno, but still reasonably knowledgeable on the subject).

[jeepinbanditrider]

They should just hire me and get it over with

[OZMDD]

I've decided that I wish TGUSA was better, but still look forward to it each week and would rather watch it than most other stuff on TV. TGUSA is better than no TGUSA.

I still think the Car Show sucks.

[black roadster]

I still think the Car Show sucks.

Yup. It isn't doing anything for me. That being said, I'll probably watch it for a few more episodes to see if it can get any better. TG-USA didn't really impress me until the Alaska episode which was their last episode of season 1 IIRC. I thought I liked Adam Carolla but his "humor" and his whiny voice are starting to get to me. He's kind of like a toned-down one notch Gilbert Gottfried.

[SirHustlerEsq]

I like Dan Niel and I'd like Adam Carrola more if they wouldn't make him give soliloquy all the time. I like them both because they are better than Motorweek, Top Gear will continue to improve.

[redmenace]

Hell, even LSMC is better than Motorweek.

[tailchaser]

I made it through almost 15 seconds of the car show... a new record for toyota viewing...

[jeepinbanditrider]

I just wish they would do the camera work a bit better. I mean nearly EVERYTHING is so blatantly staged it's not funny. Pulling down two power poles............that just happen to have a tow cable connected between them and no power lines on them. The "train" could have been gutted, but even if it wasn't it's a yard type locomotive. I can get a picture of a yard locomotive that was powered by a Chevy V8 and had a low geared transmission in it that could pull fully loaded train cars all over the place.

"We need to leave before those people get home"...........yeah the house was gutted they put a camera inside and it was pretty obivous. :/

As much as I gripe about it I still keep coming back to watch both shows because even a bad show about cars is still about cars and better than 98 percent of the tripe out there today.